Earlier this spring, the group that has been working to redesign our website held listening sessions and did a survey to gather input about our experience of our Epiphany community. Janelle and Jim shared what they heard at our last vestry meeting, and I was struck by how often ‘welcoming’ was one of the responses that emerged both from a range of people and to a range of questions:
What makes Epiphany unique?What do people think of Epiphany?What do we want?What do those we are trying to reach want?How do we want others to talk of us 10 years from now?What do you treasure most about Epiphany?How would you explain Epiphany to a friend who is interested in a community of faith?
Something that intertwined into our DNA is undoubtedly a gift that is beyond our making. What does that mean and where do we go with it? How do we knit it more deeply into all that we do, not just the way that it feels to walk through the door?
To this Godly Play teacher, it sounds like an invitation to wonder about this ‘welcome’ response …
I wonder what welcome means to you?
I wonder what welcome means to me?
I wonder how you would like to be welcomed?
I wonder how you like to welcome others?
I wonder how we continue to welcome one another?
I wonder how welcome might differ for an individual and for a community?
I wonder how a community lives ‘welcome’ if it means different things to different people?
Nelia Newell
